Toys capable of animation have long found widespread appeal among children, and are disclosed in numerous forms in the prior art. One form of such action toys simulates a creature having wings that are movable in a flapping action, as disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,036,328 to Furey; 2,637,939 to Polk; 3,153,871 to Semba; 3,577,670 to Gutierrez; 4,244,138 to Holahan et al; and 4,307,533 to Sims et al. Similar toys having parts other than wings that are movable are also disclosed in the art and may, like the winged toys, be animated either manually (e.g., by finger movement, as in hand puppet toys, by pull strings, etc.) or by drive means (e.g., electric or spring-powered motors), as exemplified by the following (all United States) patents:
Fisher describes, in No. 928,744, figure toys having illuminating means for the eyes, mouth and nostrils, and containing a button-operated mechanism for opening the mouth.
A toy in the form of an animal is described by Price in U.S. Pat. No. 1,782,477, wherein a spring-powered motor is provided to produce a walking action as well as movement of head components.
A toy figure having movable parts, animated by a spring motor, is shown in the patent to Hyde, U.S. Pat. No. 2,158,860.
A snake-like toy in the form or a plurality of segments is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,241,576 by Barton, wherein strings can be pulled to move the toy in various directions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,614,365 Musselwhite et al disclose a doll having arms that are moved by push-button actuation.
Katz et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,358,400 provides a doll having pendulum-controlled eyes moved by a mechanism having cooperating cam and cam follower means.
Harp discloses a puppet in U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,127, which has a movable mouth operated by a pull string.
A head for a doll having lips which are movable to simulate talking is shown in Giroud U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,469; the mechanism used includes a wheel having eccentric studs, which is driven by a motor to impart a reciprocating displacement to the lips.
The patent to Akiyama U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,704, teaches a sound-producing animal-simulating toy, in which a tape recorder can be employed to product voice or other sound sychronized with a movement of the model by any of a variety of means.
A toy game, in the form of a simulated alligator body, is taught in the Cooper U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,065, wherein a leg of the alligator is tied to a latch for operating the upper jaws.
Hand and finger operated puppets or puppet-like toys are disclosed by Kilpatrick in U.S. Pat. No. 683,857; Reich in U.S. Pat. No. 1,417,860; Slocum U.S. Pat. No. 1,432,628; Edwards U.S. Pat. No. 1,518,576; Dallas U.S. Pat. No. 1,865,305; Renshaw U.S. Pat. No. 2,302,349; Werbe U.S. Pat. No. 2,756,448; and Chamberlain U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,180. Hodes U.S. Pat. No. 2,725,670 provides a manipulative animated toy in the form of a mouse in a cage, the mouse being articulated by finger movement. A hand puppet having legs and a head that can be moved by finger manipulation is taught in the patent to Rushton, U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,283. Baiera describes a puppet in the form of a walking or crawling creature, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,065; the body consists of a non-functional glove, and appendages into which the fingers of the operator are inserted for manipulation to simulate the walking action.
It is of course desirable to achieve optimal visual appeal, functional effectiveness, and durability in any such toy, while minimizing the complexity of the animating mechanism and the cost of manufacture. Despite the level of prior art activity indicated above, a demand remains for toys of unique construction, in which the foregoing criteria are realized.
Accordingly, a broad object of the present invention is to provide a novel puppet figure having an articulated tail portion attached to a body portion, the tail portion being movable by hand and wrist action while the body is held stationary on the operator's hand.
A more specific object of the invention is to provide such a puppet figure on which an articulated head component is also provided on the body portion, and on which a unique gripping ring holder is employed which not only permits articulation of the tail portion and head component, but also permits movement of the operator's fingers to simulate walking or crawling legs of the puppet figure.
Another object of the invention is to provide a puppet figure having the foregoing features, in combination with a glove member which is constructed to serve both aesthetic and also functional purposes.
Still another object is to provide such a glove puppet figure in which the body member is partially covered by a plush or fur-like material.